Made by Laura!

I love dresses. I have quite a few hanging in my closet. I find them so comfortable, and I also feel pretty when  I wear one. This one is already a favorite for me! This is the Whitney Dress by AK Patterns . When Athina sent her testing group an e-mail about this pattern , I was a little hesitant at first. I absolutely LOVE the style, but I've had such limited sewing time, and the dress looked a bit time consuming at first. I also was a little reluctant to test because this is a knit sewing pattern, and I only have regular interfacing. With the way things are right now, I knew I couldn't get out to get knit interfacing. So, I e-mailed Athina. She told me knit interfacing is suggested, but that my regular interfacing would probably be fine. So... I decided to test, and I'm REALLY glad I did. Putting the Pattern Together:  Truthfully, this pattern took me a while to tape together and cut out. I taped it all together one afternoon. Then that night after the boys went t...

Every now and again, I find something I really love. Like REALLY love. I like a lot of things I sew, but some of my sews are my absolute favorites. This is one of them. This is the Brittany Skirt by Athina Kakou. I've sewn a few Athina Kakou Patterns. I love Athina's style. She loves sewing and creating beautiful, feminine patterns. I've learned a few techniques from her, and always enjoy her pattern reviews and blog post shares. I love that she sews and shares other patterns too. I've loved the quality of every Athina Kakou Pattern I've tried. They've all been well drafted, and obviously well thought out. The instructions are illustrated and easy to understand. You'll find notches and markings for helping you line up pattern pieces. Every pattern has gone together easily and smoothly. This pattern was no exception, and definitely one of my favorite AK makes! Sewing the Pattern : This skirt went together very smoothly. I found the instructio...

I kind of fell in love with the look of this pattern . It is really pretty and feminine. I love all of the details. The bust darts, the waist darts, the invisible zipper, the sash... I love the style. Athina Kakou decided to have a "Lisa and Kimberly Dress Month." So today is the day I'm sharing my Lisa dress.  Honestly, I did something rather silly - I didn't make a toile. I know. 🙈 I know better. I wish I had at least made a toile of the bodice first, because I'm pretty sure that with the fabric I chose, I could have sized down. My dress was a bit big. I ended up taking in my dress as much as I could without taking it apart. Do you ever reach that point in a project - the point where you're just ready to be finished with it. I was there. So my dress isn't perfect, and I have some ideas on what I want to do differently next time. But, it's still a pretty dress. Let's Talk about the Pattern :  As I mentioned, the pattern is full...

I've sewed a few Athina Kakou Patterns , and I'm really loving them. I think Athina's sense of style must be at least somewhat similar to mine, because I LOVE pretty much every pattern she has designed. They are really pretty to me! 💓 So when she asked if I would test the Meg Dress & Top I didn't even hesitate. I really love it! Unfortunately, I did not have time to test the latest version of the top, due to my vacation and other things to which I had already committed, but I'll just say that the final version must be amazing, because I was so happy with Version 1... Improving on an already good thing means a great thing, right? Let's talk about this pattern : This pattern is drafted for woven fabrics. You can sew it either in hip-length top length or in dress length. It is a fairly quick sew because of the style. It has dolman sleeves, which are quicker and have a different fit than set in sleeves. There are optional turn up cuffs (I believe these ...

I love wearing skirts. I love that, provided that the fabric is right, you can wear the same skirt all year round, pairing it with different tops to get different looks. I've come to love the two pieces of a skirt and a blouse, especially since my kids were born, because nursing is just simpler. So, let me tell you about my latest skirt sew - the Adriana by Athina Kakou ! I was drawn to this beauty by Athina Kako u. I mentioned on my blog post for the Suzy Dress that this was my first time trying this pattern designer for these tests, and I was beyond impressed. I blindly agreed to test two of the three new patterns she is releasing. I'm so glad they fit well and that I liked them! Once I saw the drawings and photos, I just couldn't pass up making them! I mentioned on my other post (for the Suzy Dress), that so many of her styles could be considered "classic" or "timeless," and like the Suzy Dress, the Adriana skirt is no exception. This skir...

I'm so happy for the opportunity to try and review the Athina Kakou Samantha Dress! If you've been following me long, you might have picked up on my love for wrap dresses. I've made quite a few, and have really loved them all for different reasons! So... this is just my latest wrap dress addition to my closet, and yep, I love it too! 😃 The Samantha Dress is very nice, and has several differences from other wrap dress patterns that I own. Let's talk about what sets this pattern apart! The BIG difference between this dress and other wrap dress patterns I own is the sleeves! This pattern does not have regular set in sleeves. It uses dolman style (grown-on) sleeves. Another difference in this pattern and others I own is the darts at the waistline at the front and back. This gives the bodice some shape and pulls it in slightly at the waist. In this pattern , there is also a choice for your neckline - do you want just the regular band, or would you prefer ...

You may have caught my blog post about the Suzy dress the other day... I have found a new pattern designer I REALLY like... Athina Kakou! So, I was so excited for the opportunity to try and review another of her patterns - the Sheona Top . I loved the look of the pattern when browsing her site, but when I actually downloaded it, I was amazed! Apparently I don't read well enough because the listing explains exactly what you're getting, but I thought the pattern was for a basic shift dress and basic tee. And it is... but there is more!  I was planning to make the tee with this fabric I've had for a while! I got it in a mystery scrap box I think, and really love it! It's been begging to become something for the spring and summer, but I didn't know what to make. I put my pattern together, looked at the tutorial, looked at all of the hacks that the designer made for this pattern, and WOW... you have a lot of options! I really liked the long ruffle piece (to ma...